How I Would Fix The Sixers: The Fires, Hires and Trades
For once, someone wants to pretend to be Josh Harris.
Mike O’Connor is the best O’Connor in basketball writing. Previously of The Athletic, you can find Mike on Twitter @MOConnor_NBA.
Let’s you and I agree on something before we enter into this exercise: the Sixers are enormously, catastrophically, ridiculously fucked. This organization has made too many mistakes to count, and I could never even attempt to write a piece outlining how I would try to restore them to the point where they could fulfill the potential that once existed here.
At the time of Sam Hinkie’s resignation, the task of turning this team into a perennial contender was essentially a wide open layup. And now, we can all agree that the Sixers’ ownership and front office have blown that wide open layup, and added on a patented Al Horford clap to rub it in.
I truly do not know if the Sixers will ever once again become a competent, winning organization. But here, I will simply outline what I think can be done to make the most out of the mess that this front office has left.
The rules of the exercise: I am acting as if I am now Josh Harris and have full control over all hires, trade acquisitions, and signings. For each potential move, I’ll list out a few potential alternatives and why I’ve selected them. Now, let’s begin.
Step 1: Fire the entire front office and hire a new one
Self explanatory as to why.
The most important step in making this team competent again is hiring a real, actual President of Basketball Operations who has the authority to make decisions, as opposed to the bullshit clusterfuck collaborative in which nobody knows who actually has final say on decisions. Here are the top candidates I’d pick to head up the new front office.
Adam Simon, VP of Basketball Operations / Assistant GM, Miami Heat: Simon has been with the Heat for 25 seasons now, and has been VP of basketball operations for the past two. More so than anything, I think the appeal in bringing in Simon is that he comes from an organization with a strong culture, and a habit of planning for the future and collecting and developing assets. The Heat, in many ways, are the opposite of the Sixers’ aimless front office -- they are methodical, tactical, and well organized. Simon would be a tough get (he’s been targeted for a few openings in recent years), but he’d be my number one pick.
Bobby Webster, GM, Toronto Raptors: Much of what I said about Simon could be applied to Webster. He comes from an organization with a strong culture and a front office that operates with incredible tact in the decisions they make. If Webster is able to replicate anything resembling the Raptors’ culture here, he’d be a great pick.
Mike Zarren, Assistant GM, Boston Celtics: I’m dubious that the Sixers could get Zarren -- he’s been mentioned in virtually every opening that’s come up over the past few years and yet has never been pried away from Boston. But he’s very well regarded around the league, and is absolutely deserving of the chance to build his own front office.
Step 2: Fire the entire coaching staff and hire a new one
Again, self explanatory as to why.
Here would be my top targets for head coach hires:
Tyronn Lue, Former Cavaliers head coach: In the year I spent covering the Cavs, I always came away feeling like Lue was underrated from a tactical perspective. Yes, the entire offense revolved around LeBron, but Lue’s ability to make mid-game adjustments and design sets that maximized his best players was generally worthy of praise. Lue has also gotten a bad rap in terms of the jokes about ultimately being submissive to LeBron. In fact, Lue often stood up to James, and was not afraid to challenge him. That’s the type of leadership that Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid need -- someone who can level with them, but will challenge them when they need it. Because boy, do they need it.
Kenny Atkinson, Former Nets head coach: Hiring Atkinson might be a recipe for disaster. He’s a hardass, and I don’t know how Simmons and Embiid would tolerate a hardass. But at this point, who the fuck cares? Simmons and Embiid currently occupy a space in this organization where they are beyond reproach, and it’s ultimately not good for either of them; they are never going to win anything if they don’t gain discipline, evolve, and maximize their own games. They’re both signed long term, and let’s be honest -- if this team flames out again next season, you probably have to trade one of them anyway. Bring in a hardass, and see if it helps them. I am legitimately curious how they would respond if someone demanded that they shoot the ball and get in shape, respectively. They certainly haven’t responded well to being pampered. (I’ve also always been very impressed with Atkinson from a tactical/schematic perspective.)
Adrian Griffin, Toronto Raptors Assistant Coach: I’m always hesitant about hiring assistants who don’t have head coaching experience. There is no guarantee whatsoever that they can replicate the system/culture that they came from, and everyone thinks that the next superstar coach comes from those strong systems -- remember, it was once hoped that Brett Brown could turn the Sixers into the Spurs. That said, I’m so impressed with how Toronto operates from a schematic perspective, I’d give Griffin a shot.
(We were made aware of accusations made about Griffin on social media, which should obviously be taken seriously. For the Sixers to consider Griffin, we would assume these would be completely vetted and confident that they are untrue. -Spike)
Side note: I do not get all of the Stan Van Gundy hype. Yes, he was innovative during his time in Orlando. But I never looked at his Detroit teams and thought that they were palpably well coached. He’d probably be an improvement, but I’m not infatuated with him by any stretch.
Step 3: Trade Al Horford and Josh Richardson
I’ll say it a third time: self explanatory as to why.
But before I list the offers, let me just say this -- my goal was to target guards who can create their own shots, but there simply aren’t any that could feasibly be traded for Horford. I don’t think the Thunder would take on Horford in exchange for Chris Paul. I don’t know why the Jazz would be inclined to swap Horford for Mike Conley unless they’re getting rid of Rudy Gobert. There just aren’t many of those guys out there who are even hypothetically available. So instead, I targeted mostly shooters.
Onto the trades, from most intriguing to least intriguing.
Trade #1:
Pelicans get: Al Horford, Josh Richardson, the OKC pick, two 2nd round picks
Sixers get: JJ Redick, Lonzo Ball, Darius Miller, Frank Jackson
I was chastised in the Ricky slack chat when I brought this idea up, but I genuinely think a trade of this framework makes sense for both sides. Ball is arguably bad, is on the last year of his rookie deal and is due for an extension, and is nothing resembling a lead guard. Horford would be a strong fit with Zion, and his salary would come off the books the year that Zion’s rookie contract ends.
If the Pels do this trade, their starting lineup next season would be Jrue Holiday, Richardson, Brandon Ingram, Zion, and Horford. They could talk themselves into being a top-5 team in the West with that lineup. I feel confident that Spike and AU will one again make fun of me for suggesting this trade, but I kind of think it works.
For the Sixers, they get Redick back, and they take a chance on Ball, who would be an incredible fit here if his game develops. A Ball-Redick-Harris-Simmons-Embiid lineup is interesting enough to do this deal.
Trade #2:
Kings get: Al Horford, Josh Richardson, two 2nds
Sixers get: Buddy Hield and Cory Joseph
Hield would make a ton of sense here on paper, but I hope that Sixers fans have a healthy acknowledgment that there are legitimate holes in his game. He’s a total jack, he can’t pass, he doesn’t defend, and can’t create a shot for himself off the dribble. He is not a cure-all to the Sixers’ problems, and although he shouldn’t have been benched in Sacramento, there are actual reasons that it happened; it wasn’t an accident. He is also 27 -- a year older than Richardson.
With this trade, the Kings could get off of a distressed asset in Hield and get back two capable contributors, one of whom (Horford) they’ve had definite interest in in years past. Horford complements Marvin Bagley well, and would give the Kings a fun, versatile starting lineup -- De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Harrison Barnes, Bagley, and Horford.
Trade #3:
Rockets get: Al Horford
Sixers get: Eric Gordon
There should be obvious incentive here for both sides. Horford allows the Rockets to keep playing five-out, but now, with an actual big man who can guard post-up centers. And Gordon, well, he can shoot.
Gordon is 31, clearly on the decline, and on an awful contract that runs through his age 35 season in which he’ll earn $20 million. He’s a total non-passer, and is uninspiring on defense. Still, he’s better than Horford, and allows the Sixers to get something else back when they trade JRich.
Step 4: Try (but likely fail) to trade Tobias Harris
When most people talk about Harris’ shortcomings and how they play into the Sixers’ woes, it usually has something to do with his lack of elite shot creation ability on the perimeter. I agree with that wholeheartedly, but it sells his flaws short. He doesn’t take nearly enough catch and shoot 3s, he can’t attack close-outs, he’s a horrendous passer, he’s allergic to drawing fouls, he doesn’t cut or maneuver without the ball, and he is woefully inept at finishing around the rim. Even if he had no dreams whatsoever of being a shot creator, he still would be a bad fit on this roster -- if you aren’t an elite shooter and can’t beat a close-out, you don’t help Simmons and Embiid.
He is a losing player who isn’t worth even 40 percent of his current contract. There is almost no player in the league I wouldn’t trade him for. I would trade him for John Wall. I would trade him for Kevin Love. I would get down on my knees and beg the Spurs to take him for DeMar DeRozan. The only player in the entire league on a max contract who I might (might!) not trade him for is Andrew Wiggins. Anyone else, I would take with little hesitation.
If the Hornets offered Terry Rozier and Nic Batum for Harris, he’d be on a flight to Charlotte at 12:01 am on the first day of the offseason. Rozier can at least create his own shot, and Batum’s contract expires after next season (Rozier’s expires the year after that). I cannot stress this enough: Harris does not fit on this team. He doesn’t shoot enough, his points are empty calories, and he doesn’t defend. Assuming the next CBA has an amnesty clause, the only thing stopping me from amnestying him is that the Sixers would still be over the cap after doing so.
Tobias is an outstanding human being, but exorbitantly overpaid and ultimately losing basketball player. Ultimately, though, I think the 29 other teams in the NBA are well aware of just that, and my attempts to trade him would go nowhere.
Step 5: Entertain offers for Simmons and Embiid
Yep, I said it. To be clear, I did not say that I would outright try to trade them. But I would let other teams know that they could be had for the right price. Put some feelers out there, and see what offers come through.
I have arrived at this conclusion through a mixture of pessimism towards Simmons and Embiid as well as a healthy understanding that they have backed themselves into such a corner through all of their mistakes that trading one of them may be the only way to get back any hope of title contention.
If you object, let me ask you this question. Did any of the trades suggested above leave you feeling certain that next year’s team would be a functional, contending team? I would hope not. Even if they were to complete the trade with the Pelicans listed above, they’re what -- the fourth or fifth best team in the East?
Let’s say, theoretically, Bradley Beal demands a trade tomorrow. Ben Simmons is likely far and away the best trade asset they could get for him. Is the team not far more dangerous with Beal than Simmons?
I could even be talked into selling lower on Simmons and/or Embiid. If Heat called and offered Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson for Embiid, I’d be tempted. If the Bulls called and offered Zach LaVine, Coby White, and a pick for Simmons, I wouldn’t hang up right away.
I do think it was, at one point, possible to build a title contender around Simmons and Embiid. But now? The roster construction has gone too far in the wrong direction and don’t have the assets to correct their course. In my opinion, a Simmons or Embiid trade in the next 18 months is likely inevitable as a result. I’d start putting feelers out there now before the situation becomes even more distressed and the value of either one starts to go down.
Step 6: Solidify the bench and pray that the young players develop
The final step is to bring in additional role players using minimum contracts and the MLE. Let’s call the MLE addition Kelly Olynyk, and the minimum contract players James Johnson, Shabazz Napier, and Ryan Broekhoff. It would’ve been nice to re-sign Alec Burks, but he’ll likely get the mid-level or more from another team, and I felt it was more important to target a backup big since they’re getting rid of Horford.
So, in my ideal world, here would be the final results for what the 2020-21 Sixers would look like:
GM: Adam Simon
Head coach: Ty Lue
Roster:
Joel Embiid
Ben Simmons
Tobias Harris
Lonzo Ball
JJ Redick
Kelly Olynyk
Shake Milton
Furkan Korkmaz
Matisse Thybulle
Mike Scott
Furkan Korkmaz
Shabazz Napier
James Johnson
Ryan Broekhoff
Zhaire Smith
Boy, that’s really not much better, is it? This is, unfortunately, the best I could do though. The hope is that Lue can get more out of this group than Brown, and that Simon can get the gears turning on establishing a long term plan and inputting a culture.
Perhaps the one good thing about the Sixers flaming out and getting embarrassed is that they are more likely to make drastic changes, like overhauling their front office and coaching staff. While there’s not a ton that the front office could do in their first summer, it would at least be good to feel as if someone competent is behind the wheel.